Japanese A-list singer Ayumi Hamasaki did not look pregnant in recent fan sightings, but she has now announced that she has given birth.

Posting on her Team Ayu fan club site, she revealed on Thursday (Jan 2) that she gave birth to a son at the end of last year.

The twice-divorced artist did not say who the father is, though there is talk that she is in a relationship with a dancer who is 21 years younger than her.

Ayumi, 41, called her son "an angel" but the first-time mum added that she now has to learn how to juggle the twin demands of family and career.

Ayumi, who was at the peak of her J-pop career in the 2000s, is slated to perform in Japan from February to August in her Trouble tour.

She has said that she will not abandon singing even if she has had to grapple with hearing-loss issues in recent years.

Her fans have remained faithful and it will be no trouble for them to now turn up with baby gifts.